Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices and systems for the storage and transportation of auto-injection devices.
Description of the Related Art
Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and can be life-threatening Anaphylaxis can be triggered by a variety of substances including foods, medications, latex, and bee venom, but can also occur in the absence of allergens, for example, during physical exercise, or even with no known trigger. Because these and other sources of allergy are prevalent in everyday life, one who is at risk cannot predict when they may come in contact with a potential trigger. When anaphylaxis occurs, it typically is very rapid in onset and requires immediate treatment to help reverse or abort the allergic reaction. As a result, many people with known allergies must have the appropriate medication readily available at all times.
In order to treat anaphylaxis, many allergy sufferers utilize a device that enables them to quickly administer an appropriate medication, such as epinephrine. These devices are commonly referred to as “auto-injection devices” or “auto-injectors”, and are exemplified by the injector sold by DEY L.P., under the trademark EpiPen®. Auto-injection devices generally contain one or two doses of epinephrine and include a needle for quickly injecting the medication intramuscularly. In most cases, it is recommended that individuals at risk for anaphylaxis have an auto-injection device readily available at all times.
There are several difficulties associated with the storage of auto-injector devices. For example, the medicament contained within the device must be properly stored, timely administered, and have its efficacy maintained. First, an auto-injector device, such as the EpiPen® device, is approximately the size of a large magic marker, and can be easily misplaced, leading to a delay in the treatment of a reaction. Second, delivery of medicament from an auto-injector must be immediate, and specific instructions must be followed to ensure proper delivery of the medicament at the time of an anaphylactic reaction. Third, users must guard against the medicament within the device from becoming less efficacious, and therefore, potentially ineffective at the time of use. Loss of efficacy can occur with exposure to UV light, temperature extremes, and use of the device after the expiration date. A delay in use, improper use of the auto-injector, or loss of medication efficacy, may lead to worsening of an allergic reaction, and is a risk factor for worsening anaphylaxis, and increases the risk of death.
In response to some of the above issues, several protective cases have been developed for carrying auto-injection devices while shielding them from both mechanical forces and UV radiation, such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,362 (Penney, et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,827 (Odom, et al.). Each patent discloses a case that surrounds and completely encloses an auto-injection device, protecting the device from damage and completely shielding it from light. Both types of cases are of appropriate size and can be easily carried by a user, for example, in a typical pants pocket.
While some protective cases for auto-injection devices, such as those disclosed by the Odom, et al. and Penney, et al. patents, have alleviated some of the problems associated with the storage of such a device, other difficulties persist. For example, in places visited regularly, such as a home or office, such cases are often stored out of view, in pockets or drawers, making them easily forgotten when traveling and difficult to locate in times of urgent need. This latter issue is highlighted in situations where the device user, who is often most capable of locating the device, is suffering an anaphylactic reaction and unable either to self-medicate or to describe the device location. In addition, these types of cases are intended to replace the existing carrying cases, thereby concealing the recognizable auto-injection device. This potentially delays the ability of a bystander to locate the device for individuals undergoing a reaction, and unable to communicate because of age or the reaction itself.
More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 7,434,686 (Prindle) addresses some of these problems by disclosing a storage system for auto-injection devices that holds the devices at a location where anaphylaxis is more likely to occur or where an allergy sufferer is frequently found. Such a system could be used in place of, or in addition to, having each individual sufferer carry a device everywhere with him/her, and would hold devices ready at critical locations, such as a home or office, restaurants, malls, and schools.
While conventional storage systems for auto-injection devices, such as the one disclosed by the Prindle patent, have alleviated some of the problems associated with each individual sufferer having to carry a device everywhere with him/her, and having devices ready at critical locations, other difficulties persist. For example, the storage system disclosed by the Prindle patent maintains the auto-injection device in a fixed location, as the device requires screws to support it on a flat surface. Therefore, the convenience for allergy sufferers to be able to easily move the device to another location is lost with use of the Prindle storage system. The Prindle patent also teaches complete enclosure of the auto-injection device, which creates the potential for an allergy sufferer or care provider not to recognize that an auto-injection device is present within the storage unit. Further, because the Prindle storage system is completely enclosed, it requires the user to open the storage unit in order to access the device. This could potentially delay access to the auto-injection device if one undergoing a reaction or a care provider is not familiar with its proper use or if the opening device malfunctions.